Field
This disclosure relates generally to integrated circuits, and more particularly, to non-volatile random access memories (NVRAMs).
Related Art
Non-volatile memories (NVMs) have become very important in a variety of applications but typically have characteristics that make them difficult to use as a random access memory. Some of the difficulties are very slow program and erase times, inability to erase one bit at a time, and high voltage requirements for program and erase. Some of the resistive NVMs, such as magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) alleviate these difficulties to some extent but are not a complete replacement for volatile RAMs such as DRAMs and SRAMs. Accordingly there are applications now where a memory cell itself has both a RAM portion, which may be SRAM or DRAM, and a non-volatile (NV) portion. This allows for both high speed operation while also being non-volatile. There are nonetheless difficulties relating to differences in operating characteristics between the NV and volatile portions such as write speeds that, although much faster than floating gate type NV memory cells, are slower and require more power than RAMs.
Accordingly there is a need to provide further improvement in obtaining NVRAMs.